Vernier



May 12, 1931.

w. s. WEBSTER 1,805,154

VERNIER Filed Oct. 1, 1924 HIIIIIIIWITIHHIHNI* mm INVZIiTOR BY/ V ATTORNEY or convement in 'the set of plates Around the upper Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'WiLLIAJI s'ruAn'r -WETBST'ER, OF ROSLINDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WIRE- PORATION OF NEW YORK VERNIER Application filed October 1, 1924. Serial No. 740,906.

This invention relates to so-called ver-' niers for operation of control members by smaller degrees of motion in order to permit adjustment normally to more exact operating positions than is possible or easy the absence of suc veruier.

The objects of the invention include improvements of structure whereby wear of parts is reduced and whereby unlimited angular movement of the control member is obtained. v

The invention is particularly adapted for operating electrical tuningdevices such as condensers or the like forradio apparatus,

in connection with which it is shown inthe drawings, of which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section; and I Fig. 2 a bottom plan of Fig. 1.

The Vernier apparatus itself in general comprises spindle P, brackets B1, B2, friction cone RC, and friction disk D.

The electrical tuning device shown by way of example may be an electrical con denser arranged inside metal or other casing N, said casing being .held byscrews 2 to a wooden panel or other panel X, which may constitute the top of a box or cabinet containing other apparatus such telephone receiving apparatus, including condenser N, the latter being provided with suitable circuit terminals to receive leads for connection with the rest of the electrical apparatus, if any. The condenser N may be assumed to be any form of the wellknown variable air condenser type, comprising a set of fixed plates and a set of rotatable plates intermeshing with the fixed plates with air spaces between the two sets of plates. The shaft or spindle F extends vertically through the center of the condenser, and on this rotatable shaft are mounted which'moves therewith to control the capacity of the condenser. Shaft F may extend up through panel X. end of the shaft is mounted adial L. A knurled knob MK is provided for manual rotation of the shaft.

and the condenser plates mounted to rotate as radio therewith. Knob MK as usual may carry a pointer operating over a scaleon dial L.

The. object to operate shaft F at a lower rate than the operation of the shaft by the knob MK so as to permit a more delicate adjustment and setting of the condenser capacity.

Spindle P of the Vernier extends up through hole Oin panel X, and is capped with the knurled knob VK for manual operation alternative with knob MK when more delicate adjustment is desired than can be had by operating knob MK.

Spindle P operates on an axis of rotation which is parallel to main shaft F.

of the Vernier apparatus is Spindle P 'is supported in brackets B1, B2

secured by screw A1 to condenser casing N. On the lower end of spindle P is mounted a cone RC secured on the spindle by a screw E. For co-operation with cone RC, a disk D is secured to shaft F by means of hub H and screw 1, the latter extending through shaft F (Fig. 2). Cone RC and disk D are shown in their normal positions out of engagement with one another. The co-operating surfaces of cone RC and disk D are beveled for co-operation as shown.

To operate the Vernier, spindle P is depressed by knob VK until the beveled surface of cone RC comes into frictional engagement with the beveled surface V of disk D; then knob VK is rotated to rotate disk D, shaft F and the condenser plates which are rotatable with shaft Cone RC and disk D may be made of hard rubber or other frictional material,

cone RC is stopped, the stop in the example shown,- being bracket-portion T.

In respect of maintaining the Vernier apparatus in condition for accurate adjust- 5 ment 'of condenser N or other electrical tuning element, it will be clear from the above that the structure disclosed possesses the advantage of freedom from wear of 0 crating parts during all times of operation by main or direct operating knob MK; the only wear on the vernier parts being when cone RC and disk D are in frictional operating ongagement; and even in such operation the slight resulting wear is made immaterial b the lack bf toothed ears, the latterfact y g contributing to benefic1al operation in respect of the ease of the operation of engaging cone BC with disk D in any circumferential relation of said cone and disk. It will be seen also that this Vernier has the advantage of unlimited angular motion of the adjustable tuning device N, which is not obtained by those types of verniers which permit onl of a few de rees of motion.

It is to e understoo that the invention is not limited to the embodiments and features-,specifically shown and described.herein, but that such embodiments and features are subject to changes and modifications 3U without any depapture from the spirit of the invention. l p

I particularly point out and distinctly claim the part, improvement, or combination which I claim as my invention or discovery, as follows 1. In a radio tuning apparatus the combination with the variable tuning element, of a rotatable o crating member therefor, means for the irect manual rotation of 40 said operating member, a dial surrounding said operating member, and a Vernier comprising a rotatable member independent of said dial and secured to said rotatable operating member to rotate therewith and having a beveled friction surface, a second rotatable member having a beveled friction I surface adapted to the beveled surface of said first Vernier rotatable member; and ar'otatable and reciprocable spindle on which m said second beveled member is mounted.

"2. A Vernier for a variable electrical tuning element having a rotatable operating member, and a dial surrounding said 'ber, said Vernier comprising aldisk independ- 55.8111; of said dial and-'secured'to said operating ,member to rotate therewith and having at its eriphery a beveled friction surface; a rotata l'e cone alsohaving a beveled friction surface shaped -to cooperate with the beveled friction surface of said disk; and means holding said disk and cone normally out of operating engagement with one another.

3. YA. Vernier fora variable electrical tuning element having a movable operating memmember, and a dial surrounding said memher, said Vernier comprising a member indesaid Vernier comprising a disk independent 1 of said dial and secured to member to rotate therewith beveledv friction operating'surface, .a cone having a friction operating surface shaped taco-operate therewith; a spindle mounted to rotate and on which said cone is mounted to be rotated thereby; said spindle being said operating and having a mountedreciprocably and provided with a spring normally holding it in position to hold said cone-surface out of operative engagement with said disk-surface, and a manual operating device mounted on said spindle and operating independently of said dial.

5. A radio apparatus vernier which comprises a friction member secured one end of to a movable control element of the tuning element, and a direct operating device secured to the other end of said control ele ment in combination with the second fric tion member co-operating with the first, the

first friction member being mounted nor-x mally out of operative engagement with the second; and an operating device secured to the second friction member and located at the same end of the tuning element as the direct operating device therefor and means for causing the two friction members to be brought into operative engagement with one another. A v

6. A radio apparatus Vernier comprising a rotatable and reciprocable spindle mount ed in arallel with a rotatable control member of? the tuning element, a" cone secured thereto to be rotated thereby; and a friction driven member secured to said rotatable control member in operative relation to said cone; said driven member having a beveled friction surface shaped for adaptation to the lateral surface of said cone'and an indicating dial surrounding said rotating control member of the tuning element and indicating the degree of rotation of member by said friction member, said dial being independent of the friction drive. i

7. A radio apparatus Vernier comprising a rotatable and reciprocable spindle, a friction surfaced cone thereon; a beveled friction-surfaced disk rotatable by said cone; a

"rotatable element of a. tuning device to said control .ing being mounted within supported; an 0 which said disk is fixed; a dial indicating the degree of rotation of said spindle and a spring holding said cone and disk normally out of co-operative relation.

8. A variable air condenser having operating projections from opposite ends of its structure, a manual operating member fixed on one said projection, an intermediate operating member mounted on the opposite pro-- jection; a rotatable reciprocable spindle cooperating with said intermediate member and extending parallel with the structure from one end thereof to the other and to the vicinity of the manual operating member on the first opposite projection; and a manual operating member mounted on the extended end of said rotatable spindle.

9. A variable electrical tuning device comprising an electrical reactance having a rotatable element, a casing enclosing said reactance, the reactance and its enclosing casa box, a rotatable operating spindle connected with the rotatable elementof the reactance and extending thru the box to the exterior thereof; an indicating dial surrounding said rotatable op erating spindle; a rotatable-intermediate operating member located inside the casing and fixedly secured to the rotatable element of the reactance; a second rotatable operating member in the form of a reciprocable spindle which is located inside the box and parallel to the rotatable element of the inductance and which co-operates with said intermediate operating member and extends thru the same side of the box as the first spindle.

10. An electrical tuning reactance having a rotatable element, an enclosing box therefor adjacent one side of which said reactance as a whole is supported, the rotatable element of the reactance having opposite projections from its two ends one of which projections extends thru .the side of the box adjacent which the reactance as a whole is crating member inside the box and mounte on the opposite projection from the rotatable element of the reactance; and a rotatable and. reciprocable spindle mounted inside the box and co-operating with said intermediate operating member and extending thru the side of the box adjacent which the reactance is supported and thru which one of its said rotatable proj ections extends. V

11. A variable air condenser comprising a movable set of plates and an external casing enclosing the plates; two main operating elements mounted on a unitary spindle connected with the movable set of plates and located outside the casing at opposite ends thereof; an auxiliary operatin spindle located outside said casing an .paralleling said first spindle; means supporting said p auxiliary spindle on said casing; a reciprocable friction cone mounted on one end of said auxiliary spindle; a friction disk mounted on the adjacent one of the said first spindle, co-operating with the said friction cone, and having a substantially larger diameter than said cone; and operating handles mounted respectively on the other end of said auxiliary spindle and on the adjacent main s indie.

12. ii. variable encased air condenser having operating projections from opposite ends of its rotatable\set of plates and easing; an auxiliary operating spindle'located outside of the casing of the condenser, supported thereby and extending alongside said opposite projections; manually operable devices respectively on one end of said auxiliary spindle and on theadjacent one of said operating projections; co-operating transmitting devices respectively on the other of said opposite projections and the other end of said auxiliary spindle, whereby the manual device on one end of the auxiliary spindle can move the rotatable condenser plates; and means normally maintaining said transmitting devices out of ment with one another, whereby the manual device on one of said opposite projections can 'move' the rotatable condenser plates without rotating said auxiliary spindle.

13. The combination with a rotatable tuning element of a supporting shaft journalled in said support and on which said element co-operative engageis mounted, actuating means on said shaft,

.a position with said smaller disk out of engagement with the first disk, said second shaft, its actuating means and smaller disk all being shiftable to have the smaller disk engage the larger and rotatethe first shaft at a slow rate. I

W. STUART WEBSTER. 

